 At Pine Tree High School, Johnson started in the football team; during his senior season, he intercepted 12 passes and helped the team reach a 7-3 record.Johnson attended Blinn College in Brenham, Texas and transferred to the University of Louisville, where he was a letterman for two years and majored in administration of justice.At Louisville, Johnson had 44 total tackles (32 solo), one tackle for a loss, and seven defended passes.